VT Halter Marine Inc., a subsidiary of VT Systems Inc., on Thursday announced the arrival of a 12,000 MT Floating Dry Dock transported by a heavy lift vessel from the Philippines. The dock dimensions are LOA- 546 FT x B 128.5 FT x D 46 FT.
The dry dock is part of an overall expansion plan to the south yard in Pascagoula where VT Halter Marine is adding a repair facility for semi-submersible drilling rigs and Panamax-size ships.
The addition of the Floating Dry Dock to VT Halter Marine will grow the company organically into the ship repair business and will start a new stream of revenue to its existing new-build business. The dock will establish VT Halter Marine and give it the required track record and experience for ship repair operations. It will also benefit the U.S. Gulf Coast Ship Repair Capability, as it will be the newest addition to any existing facility in the region. VT Halter Marine will now be able to service not only the repair needs of its existing new-build customers, it will also cater to new customers and most likely will more than double its customer base for ship repair business.
VT Halter Marine expects to create as many as 400 new jobs with the development of this new facility. Plans for the expansion include machine shops, electrical shops and the newly delivered dry dock. VT Halter Marine will now have a similar business model as its counterpart in Singapore, ST Marine, having both new-build and repair capabilities.
“VT Halter Marine is committed to the growth of the local community in Jackson County and with the addition of this new capability will provide a one stop solution to its customers,” said Bill Skinner, Chief Executive Officer, VT Halter Marine
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VT Halter Marine, May 20, 2013